Wind Energy

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Screwy-looking wind turbine makes little noise and a big claim. Although it's getting increasingly common to see solar panels on the roofs of homes, household wind turbines are still a fairly rare sight.

If Rotterdam-based tech firm The Archimedes has its way, however, that will soon change. Today the company officially introduced its Liam F1 Urban Wind Turbine, which is said to have an energy yield that is "80 percent of the maximum that is theoretically feasible.
" That's quite the assertion, given that most conventional wind turbines average around 25 to 50 percent. The 75-kg (165-lb) 1.5-meter (5-ft)-wide Liam obviously doesn't look much like a typical turbine. It draws on the form of the nautilus shell, and the screw pump invented by ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes of Syracuse. That form factor reportedly results in minimal mechanical resistance, allowing it to spin very freely and to operate quietly – blade noise is one of the common complaints regarding rooftop wind turbines.
Are bridge-mounted wind turbines a viable option?
Wind turbines might be common sight all around the world, but situating them in open fields or on breezy ridges isn't always a practical option.

Ideas like placing turbines under bridges have been proposed, but is that a viable alternative? According to new research out of Europe, the answer is yes. The study is based in models and computer simulations, which were carried out by researcher Oscar Soto and his colleagues in Kingston University (London) The researchers from Spain and the UK, used the Juncal Viaduct in the Canary Islands as a basis for computer simulations designed to establish whether the wind blowing between the pillars on bridges is sufficient to move turbines and create energy. The study showed that the best way to create power would be to use two different-sized turbines, or even to create a matrix of 24 small turbines because of their low weight and the amount of power that can be produced by each unit.

Bird Safe Wind Turbine. Category: New Inventions and Innovations (4)Sep-02-12 The Catching Wind Power device is a bird-friendly, bladeless turbine, able to harness wind power without putting flying birds at risk.

Developed by eighty-nine year old military veteran Raymond Green, the Compressed Air Enclosed Wind Turbine makes use of a patented Inner Compression Cone Technology, which the designer claims will compress the incoming air for a more powerful push to the turbine. All the moving parts are internal, with the blades mounted behind the windsock and compression cone, and the turbines are almost completely silent. Green believes the device, currently being tested and manufactured by Sigma Design, could be size for both commercial and residential use.
Dinosaurs Inspire More Efficient Wind Turbines. Category: New Inventions and Innovations (2)Sep-19-12 A new set of wind turbine extensions inspired by dinosaurs could increase efficiency without the need for expensive renovations or replacements.

Designed by Siemens, the upgrades are available in three different designs.
Bladeless Wind Turbine Captures More Wind. Category: New Inventions and Innovations (11)Nov-07-12 The skies have gotten a bit safer for birds with the Saphonian Wind turbine, which uses no blades at all.

The turbine, from the Tunisian company Saphon Energy, was inspired by sailboats and can capture up to 80 percent of the wind’s kinetic energy (current turbines only capture about 30 percent). Instead of spinning blades, the wind is harnessed by a sail that moves in a non-rotational back and forth motion. The motion is then converted to a hydraulic pressure that can either be stored or instantly converted to electricity via a hydraulic motor and a generator. The Saphonian turbine is also inexpensive, costing about half as much to manufacture as current turbines.
Fabric Wind Turbine Blades Could Encourage Wind Energy.

Category: New Inventions and Innovations (5)Dec-01-12 GE is developing wind turbine blades made of fabric, which would allow wind energy to compete with fossil fuels by cutting manufacturing costs by up to 40 percent.

The blades are made of a metal frame resembling a fishbone that has been wrapped in architectural fabric lighter than fiberglass. The lightweight material will allow longer blades to be produced, which in turn will capture more of the wind’s energy, and the larger blades can also capture the energy of moderate winds, opening the door to wind energy options in areas that traditionally have not been tapped. The blades can also be assembled on site, reducing manufacturing and transportation costs.
On-Demand Wind Energy. Category: New Inventions and Innovations (14)Dec-29-12 Apple has filed a patent on a wind turbine that generates power even when the wind isn't blowing.

According to the patent, the turbine generates electricity from the heat energy created by the rotation of the rotor shaft moving through “low-heat capacity fluid.” The heat energy can be transferred from the holding fluid to a working fluid, which is then boiled to create steam and power a turbine. The new system differs from conventional systems in that it eliminates the need for batteries to store power and is not subject to variances in wind power, instead making wind power more available on-demand to provide a more constant, uninterrupted supply.

Designed by architecture firm MecanooThe EWICON (Electrostatic Wind energy CONverter) is made up of a steel frame containing an array of horizontal insulated tubes. Electrodes and nozzles inside the tubes release positively-charged water droplets in the air, which cause the voltage of the device to change as the water particles escape. This change results in an electric field that can be sent to the grid for use. Currently, only a few small-scale prototypes have been created, but the designers believe the system could be installed on land or sea, and is particularly suited to urban areas.

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PowerWINdow Bird-Friendly Wind Turbine. PowerWINdow Bird-Friendly Wind Turbine (8)Apr-15-13 The PowerWINDow design proposes a way to keep birds from flying into wind turbines by replacing the windmill design with vertical blades.

The new design, in development by Farzad Safaei, an electrical engineer at the University of Wollongong, Australia, is meant to be installed between tall buildings. It features vertical blades that move up and down in the wind, which create less turbulence than conventional wind turbines and means several of them could be assembled together.

The PowerWINDow’s blades also move more slowly than current wind turbine blades, which makes them more visible to wildlife. More Info:
Invelox Wind Turbine uses Funnels to Channel Wind. Invelox Wind Turbine uses Funnels to Channel Wind (6)May-17-13 Featuring a wide-mouth funnel design, Sheer Wind’s Invelox wind turbine could lower the cost of wind power to a price that is competitive with natural gas.

The Invelox design captures the wind with its wide-mouthed funnels, directing the wind though narrow passages that naturally speed up its flow. The accelerated wind is then sent to a ground-level turbine, which makes maintenance both easier and safer while also reducing noise and vibration. According to the developers, the Invelox technology can generate energy from winds at speeds as low as 2 mph.

In addition, the smaller size of the unit (it is 50 percent shorter than current wind towers and the generator blades are 84 percent smaller) keeps material costs low.
Clip-On Wind Turbine. Solar-Wind Hybrid Power. Solar-Wind Hybrid Power (7)Aug-17-13 Solar Motion has invented and patented a solar-wind hybrid power supply for homes and remote charging stations to energize electric cars. Our rotating solar cells are capable of powering cars, bikes, and most all other wheel based objectives and agendas.

Our in-wheel, in-hub power supply with solar power in high RPM solutions, is available any time the sun shines and further thru stored battery sunlight. Our hybrid solar and wind patents issued are as follows: USPTO # 8,338,977 USPTO #8,354,757 and others pending. Patent protection is filed for Rotating Solar Photovoltaics in 35 plus countries.
Dragonfly-Inspired Turbine Harnesses the Slightest Winds. Dragonfly-Inspired Turbine Harnesses the Slightest Winds (5)Oct-27-13 The dragonfly-inspired turbine from Renzo Piano is small enough to be erected in a backyard and can harness energy from winds as low as four miles per hour.

Based on the dragonfly’s ability to float on light breezes and still navigate through gale-force winds, the Dragonfly Invisible Wind Turbine is made of lightweight carbon and polycarbonate, which allows it to harness low winds and at low altitudes. It can also withstand the force of larger winds, due to its slim-line design, and, standing only 20 meters high and 35 centimeters in diameter, it is small enough for residential properties. More Info: Add Comment Comments. Balloon-Mounted Wind Turbine Could Also Provide WiFi. Balloon-Mounted Wind Turbine Could Also Provide WiFi (6)Mar-27-14 The balloon-mounted turbine from Altaeros energies could bring both electricity and WiFi to rural areas and the developing world. Part of the BAT (buoyant airborne turbine) project, the turbine features a helium-inflated housing that allows it to rise to heights as much as 1000 feet, which is higher than any previous wind turbine has managed.

The BAT has been designed to generate inexpensive and low-cost power for remote and microgrid areas, particularly those that are currently relying upon expensive, gas-guzzling generators—such as military sites, island and artic communities and even disaster relief sites. While deployed, the BAT could function as a hub for WiFi and cell service while also doing duty as a weather monitoring station. More Info:
DualWing Generator Harvests Wind Energy with Wings.

DualWing Generator Harvests Wind Energy with Wings (2)Apr-03-14 The DualWingGenerator from Festo replaces the conventional rotor blades of wind turbines with a pair of opposing, flapping wings. Developed as part of the Bionic Learning Network, the DualWingGenerator is made up of a vertical column that supports a bottom and top pair of 'wings' measuring 98.4 inches across. As the wind moves over the wings, the upper and lower pair will move in opposing direction, creating a motion that is translated into rotary motion within the column. This rotary motion is then sent to an integrated electric motor to be turned into electricity. The DualWingGenerator can self-optimize and adjust to different wind conditions, and can harvest winds even at low speeds.
Screw-Shaped Wind Turbine Could Appeal to Homeowners. Screw-Shaped Wind Turbine Could Appeal to Homeowners. Central Group. Virtually silent, fully enclosed, bladeless wind turbines on the way.

A wind turbine that uses boundary layers instead of blades to generate power has been patented by Solar Aero, a New Hampshire based not-for-profit scientific research organization. Modeled on the 1913 Tesla steam turbine, the Fuller turbine is virtually silent and completely enclosed, which avoids many of the drawbacks of bladed turbines such as noise, radar interference, visual pollution and wildlife injuries.
UGE replaces 4K wind turbine with mysterious mid-range VisionAIR - (Private Browsing)
Urban Green Energy (UGE) recently unveiled its newest vertical-axis wind turbine, the VisionAIR, as part of an installation at the Beijing International Garden Expo.
EWICON bladeless wind turbine generates electricity using charged water droplets.

Virtually silent, fully enclosed, bladeless wind turbines on the way. World-first wooden wind turbine starts spinning in Germany. The prototype TimberTower constructed in Hannover, Germany Image Gallery (6 images) Getting a wind turbine to a decent height to allow it to reach stronger winds than those found closer to the ground generally means sitting them atop a tower.
Saphonian bladeless turbine boasts impressive efficiency, low cost. Kite power getting off the ground in Germany. Despite offering numerous advantages over its rotating brethren, most notably the ability to reach the high-speed winds found at higher altitudes, kite-based energy systems are yet to really get off the ground in a meaningful way.

But things are looking up. Earlier this year, NASA revealed it is investigating ways to improve the aerodynamics and autonomous flight control of kites for power generation applications, and now Berlin-based wind energy developer NTS GmbH has teamed with the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA) to make their own kite energy system concept a reality. The team’s “kite power station” would see kites attached to cables measuring around 700 meters (2,297 ft) long, which would allow the kites to fly at heights of 300 to 500 meters (984 to 1,640 ft).

DARWIND5 wind turbine improves on an old design. Ontario, Canada has carved out a niche for itself as a hub of green technology. One of the latest clean tech innovations to come out of that province is DARWIND5, a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT). Designed by Harvistor, it comes with a promise of more oomph than existing models for small-scale wind power generation. According to the company, recent tests showed that its technology can achieve 35 percent more kilowatt hours per year than current VAWTs for the same sweep area, besides operating at 25 percent lower heights than similarly priced market leaders.

Harvistor says it approached the DARWIND5 design like F1 racing, with performance boosted by a new type of rotor blade telemetry and geometry.
Siemens unveils world's largest wind turbine blades. Siemens has released pictures of its truly gargantuan B75 wind turbine rotor blades. As you might imagine, the prototype turbines that will use these blades boast some staggering statistics of their own (Airbuses at the ready, please). View all Remarkably, the 75-meter-long (246-ft) blades consist of a single component made from epoxy resin and balsa reinforced with glass fiber, cast in a gigantic mold using a process Siemens has cunningly named IntegralBlade. Initially, three B75 blades will be put to use in a prototype 6-MW offshore turbine at Denmark's national test center at Østerild.

The sweep of the completed turbine will cover 18,600 sq m (200,200 sq ft) and the tips of the blades will move at 290 km/h (180 mph) at full lick.
Sandia Labs investigates new offshore wind turbine designs. Albuquerque-based Sandia National Laboratories is conducting comprehensive research into the viability of vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) for offshore use. The design, previously considered impractical for large-scale applications, has the potential to transform offshore wind technology, making it a more economically viable energy source. The research is being conducted under a 2011 Department of Energy (DOE) solicitation for advanced rotor technologies for wind power generation in the United States. The US$4.1 million research project began in January of this year and will continue for five years.

The first stage will last two years, during which time, several concept designs will be created and run through modern modelling software.